A320 to A330?
 

Hello! Can anyone tell me what the upgrade to the A330 from the A320 is like? What are the aircraft handling comparisons? Many thanks in advance!

Tom Cat,

There are only three handling differences:

1. Flap 2 does not give the drag effect on the 330 compared to the 320 on the approach

2. The flare height

3. Taxiing on the ground

Otherwise the systems are a little more complicated, but you hardly notice that under normal operations.

That's about it really. (Except that it climbs a lot better)!

What about the difference in rotation?

What about the pitch up/down tendency in turbulence?

What about the crosswind landing differences?

Well bat.man aren't you the helpfull one?

1. You rotate any jet airliner at 3 degrees a second. The fly by wire controls of both the 320 and 330 means that they feel pretty much the same.

2. Any aircraft has pitch problems in turbulence - the 330 and 320 are no different.

3. Cross wind landings are more stable in the 330, but it handled the same as the 320.

I suppose the only difference between the two with reference to the above 3 points is that the 330 is bigger and has more momentum than the 320. But, considering the difference in sizes, you notice this much less than you would think.

1. True. Rubbish

2. True - rubbish

3. True, rubbish